National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Her eyes, filled with displeasure and authority, fixed on Xiao Cangqing with a cold, blade-like stare.

"No, no, no, I wasn’t questioning you. You misunderstood me."

Xiao Cangqing, who had been rambling on confidently, noticed Ye Lingyun’s icy expression.

He froze as if struck by lightning and immediately snapped to his senses.

Tiny beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. Soaked in a cold sweat, his hair was slightly disheveled.

He forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and explained hurriedly, "You’re the head of the Vampire Clan. Of course, you call all the shots."

His words were filled with sycophancy and awe.

His body trembled uncontrollably, as if he feared Ye Lingyun would suddenly deliver a harsh punishment.

A pitch-black bat, like an Elf of the night,

came fluttering in from the vast, boundless sky outside the window.

Agile and swift, it traced a black arc through the air before

landing steadily on Ye Lingyun’s elegant shoulder.

Ye Lingyun nodded slightly, seemingly engaged in a silent exchange with the bat.

Then, with another flutter of its wings, the pitch-black bat took off,

shot back out through the open window, and vanished from sight.

"Teacher is here."

The corners of Ye Lingyun’s mouth curved up in a relieved smile,

as radiant as the spring sun, instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the room.

"Then there’s no problem."

Seeing this, Xiao Cangqing instantly relaxed, like a taut bowstring suddenly going slack.

He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and let out a long sigh of relief. ’I know Chu He pretty well, after all,’ he mused. ’In my eyes, Chu He is a monster among monsters. Those so-called natural-born Evil Spirits, even with their massive clans, ancient legacies, and millennia of history, are insignificant. Compared to Chu He, the difference is like night and day. They’re not even in the same league.’

"Now that Mr. Chu has arrived,"

"it doesn’t matter what plots or schemes the Werewolf Clan comes up with."

"They’ll basically be useless."

Hope and confidence rekindled in Xiao Cangqing’s eyes.

As long as Chu He was around, they had the confidence and strength to overcome any difficulty.

This was a confidence that had been beaten into him over the course of countless thrashings.

...

As the plane’s tires touched down smoothly on the runway,

making a soft sound of friction, every passenger on board,

including the graceful and beautiful flight attendants, let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

After all, the world today was vastly different from how it used to be.

Before the invasion of the Evil Spirits, while there was always a risk of a plane crash,

the odds were relatively low.

Every crash made global headlines,

becoming a major topic of discussion.

Now, however, the situation was completely different.

The flight attendants’ salaries were many times higher than they were before the Evil Spirit invasion.

But they all knew in their hearts that they were earning every cent of it with their lives.

Some of the braver flight attendants chose to stay on the job,

while many of the more timid ones, driven by constant fear, had quit the profession altogether.

After all, no matter how much money you make, you have to be alive to spend it.

For the flight attendants who remained,

every flight was a gamble.

Their hearts pounded with terror the entire way,

constantly worried about the dangers that could appear at any moment.

Yet, they had to force a calm demeanor,

serving passengers with their most professional attitudes and sweetest smiles.

Behind those smiles lay endless heartache and resignation.

Chu He and Xia Chengli slowly disembarked from the plane.

They didn’t head straight for the Vampire Clan’s headquarters.

Instead, they planned to pose as ordinary tourists

and stay for a few days in the world-famous, bustling metropolis of Jinshan City,

to get a feel for its unique local culture.

Chu He mused to himself, ’The entire Vampire Clan headquarters must be under heavy surveillance from all sides right now. I’m not sure if these local Lighthouse Empire factions possess some bizarre, unpredictable techniques. Even if I use my advanced Stealth Technique to slip into the Vampire Clan headquarters unnoticed, I might still be detected. Take this mysterious ring I’m wearing right now, for example. Although it has a magical concealment effect, in a foreign land this fraught with danger, there are no guarantees.’

"Interesting."

Chu He and Xia Chengli hailed a taxi outside the airport.

Just as they got in and settled,

Chu He narrowed his eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"We’re being watched. Couldn’t be from that so-called Werewolf Clan, could it?

That shouldn’t be right.

Or is my protagonist’s aura just too dazzling, getting you targeted by association?"

Xia Chengli had also keenly sensed it.

From the moment they got off the plane to the moment they stepped into the taxi,

she felt pairs of eyes secretly watching them from the shadows.

The feeling of being watched sent a strange thrill of excitement and nervousness through her,

as if a thrilling adventure was about to unfold.

Xia Chengli blinked her bright, star-like eyes.

Then she reached out and gently took Chu He’s arm,

resting her head on his shoulder like a docile little kitten.